Word number counting device

ABSTRACT

A word number counting device to be used in conjunction with a typewriter comprising an electronic circuit activated to advance a counter upon the depression of at least one of the type keys after the depression of either the space bar or carriage return or line space lever.

United States Patent Yamashita et a1.

[54] WORD NUMBER COUNTING DEVICE [72] Inventors: Emiko Yamashita, 6-50-315, 1-

chome, Akabanedai, Kita-ku, Tokyo; Kyohei Fuiimoto, Yokohama, both of Japan [73] Assignee: said Yamashita, by Fujimoto [22] Filed: Oct. 20, 1970 [21] App]. No.: 82,441

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 25, 1969 Japan ..44/85009 [52] US. Cl ..235/92 AC, 235/92 R, 235/92 PD, 235/92 PB, 235/102, 340/146.3 WD

[451 Oct. 3, 1972 2,435,450 2/1948 Lamb ..235/102 2,421,683 6/ 1947 Chaskin ..235/102 1,798,707 3/1931 Smith ..235/102 1,617,774 2/1927 Smith ..235/102 2,907,519 10/1959 Covely ..235/92 EC 3,346,725 10/ 1967 Allured ..23-5/92 MP Primary Examiner-Maynard R. Wilbur Assistant ExaminerRobert F. Gnuse Attorney-Harry C. Bierman, Jordan B. Bierman and Bierman & Bierman [5 7] ABSTRACT A word number counting device to be used in conjunction with a typewriter comprising an electronic 51 Int. Cl. ..H03k 21/04 circuit activated to advance a counter "P the 5 Fie|d f seal-ch23 5 /92 EC, 92 Mp 92 c 102, depression of at least one of the type keys after the 235/59 T, 59 BF; 340/ 146.3 WD depression of either the space bar or carriage return or line space lever. [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 2,297,180 9/1942 Walsh ..235/102 FLlP FLOP DIFFERENTIATOR 1 CIRCUIT 8 10 l I I 2 l 9 '/COUNTER MONO-STABLE MULTIVIBRATOR WORD NUMBER COUNTING DEVICE The present invention relates to a word number counting device linked with a typewriter, and more particularly to a device which upon typewriting sentences, enables to simultaneously sense and count the typed word number.

The basic principle of the present invention exists in that an electronic circuit is associated with the key operation of the typewriter to identify each word, and that an indication of the word number is obtained in a counter or on a count display device connected to said electronic circuit.

In case that sentences are typed by means of a typewriter, as one word consists of one or more characters (alphabets), one or more times of key operation is carried out in accordance with the number of characters per word, and at the end of typing of one word, either a space bar is actuated to reserve a space or a carriage return and line space lever is actuated to achieve a carriage return and a line shift, and thereby each word can be identified. Accordingly, it is essentially necessary to construct an electronic circuit such that each word may be identified thereby as one word without sensing the key operations for the respective characters contained in said each word.

Now one preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electric circuit in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing various waveforms appearing at various points in the circuit illustrated in FIG. 1 for exemplifying one example of operation of the device.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 designates a flip-flop which has a set input 2 and a reset input 3 and which is constructed in such manner that when a switch 4 or 5 is closed said flip-flop 1 may be set or reset, respectively. As the flip-flop circuit per se is well known and it is also well-known that the flip-flop 1 can be constructed in the above described manner, a more detailed description with respect to the circuit will not be given here. The flip-flop l is further provided with an output terminal 6, from which an output can be obtained when said flip-flop 1 is reset. In the illustrated example, the arrangement is such that when said flip-flop l is set, the output at the terminal 6 may fall from a higher level to a lower level, and then this output is applied to a differentiator circuit 7. The differentiator circuit 7 differentiates the negative-going signal emitted from the terminal 6 to produce a negative pulse when said flipflop l is set, and thereby actuates a mono-stable multivibrator 8. This mono-stable multivibrator 8 is constructed in such manner that it may be actuated only by a negative pulse input. An output of said mono-stable multivibrator 8 is connected to a counter 10 via a switch 9. The counter 10 may be of any type, so far as it is designed so that it may increase its count by one upon each receipt of one pulse from the mono-stable multivibrator, and for example, an electromagnetic type of counter may be employed.

Upon counting the word number, as it is normally required to count the number of only such words that consist of characters, the arrangement is such that the switch 4 may be closed only when a character key is depressed, and that the switch 5 may be closed only upon the actuation of the space bar or the carriage return and line space lever. Provision is made such that the switch 9 is normally closed but is opened upon operation of type keys which is not wanted to be counted into the number of words, for instance, upon typing of numerals or symbols, whereby when the nu merals, symbols, etc. have been typed, even if the space bar is actuated, it is enabled to prevent these from being counted in the counter 10.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing waveforms at the respective points in the circuit illustrated in FIG. 1 for exemplifying one example of operation, in which the first word consists of four characters. Then, although the switch 4 is closed four times in response to the actuation of the character keys of four times, the flip-flop l is set by the first set-input (closing of the switch 4) and not changed in state, so that the set state is not affected by the number of characters contained in one word. In this connection, of course, we have assumed that prior to the actuation of the first character key, the flip-flop 1 has been reset by the actuation of the space bar or the carriage return and line space lever. When the flip-flop 1 is set (at time t,), the output at the terminal 6 falls to the lower level and due to the negative-going signal at this moment, that is, due to the descending end of the output the differentiator circuit 7 generates a negative pulse, which triggers the mono-stable multivibrator 8 so that its output may increase the count in the counter 10 by one (as shown by a positive wide pulse at 8). Thereafter, the flip-flop 1 receives three set-inputs (shown as pulses at 4) in response to the succeeding actuation of the characters keys as illustrated in FIG. 2, and then again in response to the actuation of the space bar or the carriage return and line space lever (at time t the flip-flop l is reset. At this moment, a positivegoing signal is emitted from the terminal 6 and thereby the differentiator circuit 7 generates a positive pulse. But this positive pulse is ineffective for actuating the mono-stable multivibrator 8. After the actuation of the space bar or the carriage return and line space lever at the time t if there occurs typing of a character key (at time t;,), the-.flip-flop 1 is set, and the output at the terminal 6 again falls to the lower level. Then, due to the negative-going signal, the counter 10 is actuated as described above so that its count is increased by one. Thereafter this cycle is repeated.

If necessary, the space bar could be actuated repeatedly to reserve a desired length of space. As illustrated by a broken line in FIG. 2 (at 5), since the flipflop l is kept in the reset state without change, such a repeated actuation of the space bar does not affect upon the count at all. In addition, when a mathematical equation or the like appears in the sentence, if the switch 9 is opened manually or automatically in a linked manner with specific keys, then the mathematical equation or the like can be omitted from the counting of the word number.

With regard to the method for mounting the switch 4 in a typewriter, since a typewriter is generally provided with a common bar or bail to be actuated by the key depressed for typing in order to select the desired type, it can be simply mounted by disposing a compact microswitch adjacent to this bar or bail so that the switch 4 may be closed by this bar or bail. However, it is also possible to construct the switches 4 and 5 by making use of semi-conductor elements such as pressure-sensitive diodes, photoelectric elements, etc.

In the case of an electromotive typewriter, the respective switch contacts actuated by the character type keys for energizing the respective typing relays may be commonly used for actuating the set-input switch 4, as by connecting the respective key contacts commonly but through respective decoupling diodes to a winding of a relay whose make contacts serve as said set-input switch 4. In this case, the keys for which the counting is to be omitted, are removed from the common connection to the set-input relay switch 4. Similarly, the switch contacts for the space key and the carriage return and line space key can be connected together through the respective decoupling diode to a winding of another relay switch which serves as the reset-input switch 5.

Since the device according to the present invention can be formed compactly and can be operated either by a battery or by an AC. power supply line, the utility thereof is not limited to an electromotive typewriter, but it can be equally applied to a common mechanical typewriter.

in the past, the counting of the word number has been carried out word by word after typing, and therefore it was a very tedious and laborious work; However, if the device according to the present invention is employed, the labor can be eliminated entirely, and furthermore, a very accurate word number can be obtained.

What we claim is: v

1. A word number counting device for use in conjunction with a typewriter comprising:

a flip flop circuit having a first and second input, said first input being activated by the depression of a type key in the typewriter and said second input being energized by the depression of the space bar or the carriage return, such that upon energization of said second input the flip flop circuit is reset;

said circuit also having an output, said output being a negative signal when the first input is activated at least once and a positive signal when the second input is energized once,

a difl'erentiator circuit being activated by said negative signal to emit a negative pulse and by said positive signal to emit a positive pulse,

a mono-stable multivibrator activated to generate and output only by the negative pulse from said differentiator circuit,

a counter advanced by the output of said multivibra' tor, and

means for disconnecting said multivibrator from said counter.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said disconnecting means comprises a switch linked to at least one of said type keys such that upon the depression of said key said counter will not be advanced. 

1. A word number counting device for use in conjunction with a typewriter comprising: a flip flop circuit having a first and second input, said first input being activated by the depression of a type key in the typewriter and said second input being energized by the depression of the space bar or the carriage return, such that upon energization of said second input the flip flop circuit is reset; said circuit also having an output, said output being a negative signal when the first input is activated at least once and a positive signal when the second input is energized once, a differentiator circuit being activated by said negative signal to emit a negative pulse and by said positive signal to emit a positive pulse, a mono-stable multivibrator activated to generate and output only by the negative pulse from said differentiator circuit, a counter advanced by the output of said multivibrator, and means for disconnecting said multivibrator from said counter.
 2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said disconnecting means comprises a switch linked to at least one of said type keys such that upon the depression of said key said counter will not be advanced. 